Saffron outfit to marry off young couples on Valentine's Day

Lucknow, Feb 6: With Valentine's Day round the corner, you might just end up getting hitched if Hindu Mahasabha carries out its advice to the love birds.

To deter youth from practising the "western tradition", the right wing organisation has chalked out a nation-wide strategy as part of which couples displaying affection in public could be married off.

"We have prepared teams of youths who will be paying visits to malls, parks, historical monuments and other places frequented by young couples on Valentine's Day in major towns and cities in the country," President of Hindu Mahasabha Chandra Prakash Kaushik told PTI.

The young couples celebrating the western culture by carrying roses and greeting cards will be explained that the tradition they are so ardently following is flawed, he said.

Stressing that love is not something that needs to be celebrated on one particular day, he said, "In our country, all the 365 days in the year are meant for love, but it should not be displayed on the streets and in parks."

"By demonstrating affection at public places, they are degrading their love and taking forward the western traditions which do not suit our culture and tradition," he insisted.

Each year on February 14, many people exchange cards, candy, gifts and flowers with their 'valentine' on the special day of romance called Valentine's Day.

"Couples who are major and insist that they are in love and are serious to take their relationship to the next level must get married and we will facilitate it," Kaushik said.

However, those who are not sure about the marriage and are seeing each other for fun might be taken to task and their parents will be informed, he warned.

"We cannot allow the youth to ape foreign traditions as it will set a wrong precedent," Kaushik said. In case of inter-faith couples being nabbed, they would be asked to return to Hinduism and prove their love for each other, he said.

"They will be told to give a test of their love and return to the religion of their ancestors who were all Hindus," he said, adding all people in this country were Hindus and they will be welcomed to the original fold.

"If they refuse to do so, it will be a matter of love jehad and it will be proved that they had trapped the other partner under a conspiracy," he said .

In such cases, marriage will be conducted after a proper 'shuddhikaran (purification ritual)', he said. He maintained that the message will be delivered peacefully.

"It is an occasion of love and we cannot be harsh," he said, adding the Mahasabha has no intention to use force to drive home its point.

A senior member of the Mahasabha Ashok Sharma said his organisation has always opposed the western culture and worked at weaning away those following it blindly.

In the past, the Mahasabha had forced girls found moving around with boys on Valentine's Day to tie 'rakhi' - a Hindu festival that celebrates the love between brothers and sisters. If the boys refused, they were made to do push ups as punishment.